


At The Beginning.

by rorypondinthetardis



Category: Anastasia (1997), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, I blame Caitlin, It's all her fault
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-20
Updated: 2013-02-27
Packaged: 2017-11-16 17:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rorypondinthetardis/pseuds/rorypondinthetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This one's entirely Caitlin's fault. Okay, no that's a lie, I just love Anastasia a lot, and this is something I've been wanting to write for a wee while now, so, here it is.<br/>Dedicated to Caitlin, because she loves Gremma and Anastasia just as much as I do.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This one's entirely Caitlin's fault. Okay, no that's a lie, I just love Anastasia a lot, and this is something I've been wanting to write for a wee while now, so, here it is.  
> Dedicated to Caitlin, because she loves Gremma and Anastasia just as much as I do.

Snow White smiled out at the crowd, waving at them, eyes searching for her husband.

  
He was close by, twirling their daughter, Emma across the floor. Snow could hear her delighted laughter, and she sunk into her throne, content. She waved at Charming when he caught sight of her, and he grinned, and pointed at her, nudging Emma. She turned and noticed her mother, a smile lighting up her face.  
“Mama!” Emma cried, rushing up to Snow’s throne, “I’ve missed you.”

  
“I know, dear,” Snow said. Leaning forward she scooped Emma into her arms, holding her fast, “I got you something,” She said smiling brightly as she removed a tiny golden box from her purse.

  
“For me?” Emma cried, jubilant, “Is it a jewellery box?”

  
Snow noted a brief kerfuffle behind her, but she blocked it out- this was her time with Emma, and she wasn’t going to waste it.

  
“Look,” Snow said, taking a thin golden chain from around her neck, and using the tiny circular key dangling from it to turn the cog in the box. It opened slowly and a familiar tune began to play.

  
Emma’s eyes widened in delight, and Snow let out a tiny giggle, “It plays our lullaby,” Emma murmured, a smile blossoming across her face.

  
“You can play it at night, before you go to sleep,” Snow told her, “And pretend that it’s me singing,” She hummed briefly along with the box, before singing.  
 _'On the wind, across the sea, hear this song and remember, soon you’ll be, home with me, once upon a December.'_

  
Emma threw herself into Snow’s arms, and she cradled her daughter for a moment, wishing she could be at home more, and knowing that until the disturbance between the people of Raven’s Point and her own kingdom had died down she could not return permanently.

  
“Thank you,” Emma said, her tiny lip wobbling. Snow placed the necklace around Emma’s neck, and held the key up to her, “Go on, read it.”

  
“To-together in Paris.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she turned to Snow, “Really, mama?” Snow nodded.

  
She had discussed things with Charming, and they had agreed that soon Snow could take Emma with her, and they could stay together for a while. It had been nearly three years since Snow had spent more than a few days in the same country as her daughter, and she missed her dearly.

  
“I promise,” Snow said, pressing a kiss to the tip of her daughter’s nose.

  
Suddenly the doors blew open, and things went dark. Snow stood, pushing Emma behind her quickly. “Don’t move,” Snow whispered, standing up tall, watching as the crowd parted.

  
Charming rushed to her side, and he took her hand, and together they waited.

  
A dark haired woman stepped out of the shadows, her bright red lips pulled into a twisted smile, “Hello,” She said sweetly, as though her mere presence wasn’t unwelcomed by all who resided in The Enchanted Forest.

“How dare you return here,” Charming spat, taking a step forward, but Snow flung out her arm, and held him back.

  
“But I’m your friend,” Regina said, blinking perplexedly.

  
“You are a traitor.” Charming said, glowering at her.

  
She held a hand up to her chest, “Your majesty, I would never-“

  
“Get. Out.” Charming said slowly, his face twisted in anger.

  
“You think you can banish me?” She said, smirking, “Oh, but darlings, I am more powerful that you will ever know,”

  
“Get out,” Snow said this time, one hand reaching back to hold Emma close, keep her safe.

  
“No,” Regina said, beaming, “I banish you with a curse. Within a fortnight you and yours will be dead. Gone from this land forever. I will not rest until I see the end of your line.” Her words were laced with venom, and Snow shuddered.

  
There could only have been one way for Regina to achieve such power, and Snow hated to think of Regina selling her soul in order to curse them in such a way.

  
“Goodbye,” Regina grinned, and vanished with a cackle and a giant wisp of smoke. Snow gasped, and turned to take Emma in her arms urgently. “Sweetie, you have to run. Go to the wooden cupboard in your room. Hide there until I come for you.”

  
Emma stood stock still with fright, and Snow shook her lightly, “Emma, go!”

  
She turned and ran, and Snow went to Charming’s side. She stared up at him, “What do we do?” She asked, pleading with him for answers.

  
“We have to leave. Get as far away as possible.” He told her, “Go with Emma- go, I have things to do here.”

  
Snow pressed her lips to his quickly, tears falling from her eyes, “I love you,” She murmured, and he nodded.

  
“Go, I will find you.” She nodded, and ran, unable to look back for fear of not being able to leave if she did.

  
She found Emma about halfway to her room, and Snow caught up with her, “Come on, we have to hurry,” She said. The wardrobe was their only hope. It had been carved from pure magic when Emma was just a baby, and it was made to keep her safe.

  
“Wait,” Emma said, tugging on Snow’s skirts, “My music box! I dropped it.” She pulled away from Snow, and bolted back the way they had come. Snow’s heart dropped and she ran after her.

  
“Emma no!” Snow stumbled, but caught up as Emma ducked to grab her music box.

  
A voice said, “Through the servant’s quarters!” Snow caught sight of a boy, no older that Emma was, and shuffled towards him, “Please, I need to get her to her room!” Emma was shivering, and the boy pushed them into the door in the wall.

  
“It’s down to the left!” He cried, shutting the door after them. “Run!”

  
Snow rushed them out into Emma’s room, and shooed her into the cabinet, “You too!” She said to the boy, not even knowing his name. He shook his head and backed away.

  
“Save yourself- the curse will only harm your family, I’ll be okay,” He said, voice wobbling, and he bolted. Snow closed her eyes, and prayed that he would be okay.  
She got into the cabinet, too, and though it was squished, they were safe. He last thought was of Charming before she was surrounded by a thick haze. She felt her entire body jerk, and suddenly it was freezing.

  
She peeled her eyes open, and stared down at Emma, who was shivering, but safe in her arms, “Darling,” She murmured, realising that the cabinet had taken them out of range of the curse.

  
Hooves sounded and she dragged Emma to her feet, “Come on, into the side of the road, maybe they can help us,” She waved the carriage down, but it did not slow, but instead drove on. “Run,” She instructed, and hiked up her skirts. They ran after it, and someone held out a hand from inside,

  
Snow grabbed the hand and was pulled to safety. She pulled Emma, too, but her grip was loosening, “Don’t let go!” She called, but then Emma was gone, and all she could hear was the frantic screams of her daughter calling for her.

  
Snow turned to the lady who had saved her, “Please- my daughter, please go back. Please, I need to keep her safe.” The lady shook her head.  
“I’m sorry, we’re on a schedule,” She said coldly, and turned from Snow.

  
Snow let out a shriek of rage and yanked the door open, peering back into the snow. They were going too fast, and Emma was nowhere in sight.  
“Emma!” She called, her heart clenching in fear. “Emma!” There was no reply, and she slumped back into her seat. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she vowed that as soon as she got off the carriage she would go back, and she would find her daughter.

  
The lady reached across her and shut the door again, and Snow curled into herself and wept for her husband, for her daughter, and for her own loss.


	2. Chapter 2

Graham picked up today’s newspaper, and flicked through the pages idly, nothing really catching his eye, until he caught sight of a small article, speaking of the long lost princess, and the reward for her safe return to her mother.

He tucked it under his arm discreetly, and walked away from the stand with purpose, his footsteps rushed as he made his way back to the long abandoned palace.

Graham flung the doors open, grinning, “This is it, Archie,” Graham said, spreading the newspaper out over the desk, a picture of the young princess Emma in the top left hand corner, “This is our shot. She’s finally looking for her again.” He glanced up at his oldest friend, raising an eyebrow, “Well?”

Archie grinned, and nodded, “We’ll go down in history for this,” He murmured, fingers running over the picture lightly, “This could be it for us,” Archie didn’t need to tell Graham how much this would mean to him- he already knew.

“We’ll be out of here,” Graham added wistfully, “We just have to find the right girl- one who can play the part of Princess Emma properly- the mannerisms, the talk, the dress, everything- we’ll get three tickets to Paris, and we’ll go,”

“No one could pull it off better,” Archie agreed, rolling up the newspaper and slipping it into his briefcase.

Archie stood, “We have some arrangements to make,” He said, and Graham nodded, “I’ll get the venue sorted- we’ll have this thing sorted out in no time,”

“Alright- I’ll see you for dinner, then,” Graham said, and they went their separate ways, a small smile lingering on Graham’s face.

~

Days had been spent making arrangements, sifting through the market place for necessities, running back and forth from the palace to their most reliable allies, telling them to spread the work to those who could be considered trustworthy.

It had been just under two weeks since they had received the news, and Graham relaxed back into the armchair he had claimed for his own. “That’s it,” He murmured, letting their travel papers drop into his lap, “Now all we need is the girl,”

“We’ll find her- tomorrow,” Archie said quietly, “We have to. We have hundreds of girls lined up- one of them has to be the one,”

Graham hummed, rubbing at a crick in the back of his neck, “I hope you’re right,”

“We will,” Archie said firmly.

“Then we’ll be gone- we have three tickets out of here,” Graham said, a small smile curling up the corners of his lips, “One for you, one for me, and one for Emma,”

“I can see the gossip now,” Archie mused. “Do you have everything packed?”

Graham sat up, and set the piled papers onto the small coffee table between them, “Not everything,” He pushed himself to his feet, and opened the small chest he kept hidden behind a bookshelf.

He pulled out a small ornate music box, vaguely remembering how he’d been fascinated by it the first time he’d seen it- when Queen Snow had given it to Emma- and then the small pang of jealousy that had accompanied it. His own mother and father had abandoned him by the palace doors, and the chef had been kind enough to take him in, raise him as best she could, though he more often than not spent his time out by the woods, watching the multitude of animals that passed through.

“This is the key,” He mumbled to himself.

“A jewellery box?” Archie asked incredulously. “How is that going to help us?”

Graham smiled a small, secret smile, and shook his head, pocketing it.

Archie had sense enough not to press the issue.

~

Emy wrapped Charlotte into a warm hug, tearing up, “I’m gonna miss you,” Charlotte lisped, and Emma pulled out of the embrace, “I’m going to miss you too,” She said, booping the young girl’s nose. “You be good for Granny, okay?” Charlotte nodded, and used her too long sleeve to wipe her tears.

“Emy!” Granny shouted, “Come on, out!” Emy waved goodbye to Charlotte, and then to the other children in the orphanage, who all called goodbye after her as she was shuffled out the door by Granny.

“Okay, now girl,” Granny said, walking briskly down the snow covered path, “I’ve got you a job in the fish factory- keep going until you reach the fork in the road, go left-“

“Goodbye!” Emy called over her shoulder, heart dropping as the door closed, and the group of faces disappeared behind it.

“Are you listening to me?” Granny snapped, and Emy blinked at her.

“I’m listening, Granny,”

“You’ve been a thorn in my side since the day you got here, acting like the bloody queen herself, instead of the nameless no account you are,” Granny grumbled, grabbing hold of Emy’s jacket, tugging her down the path, “For the last ten years, I’ve fed you, I’ve clothed you-“

“You’ve kept a roof over my head.” Emy finished for her, sighing.

Granny fished the gate key out of her pocket, and turned to face her, “How is it you can remember all of that?” She asked, turning the key in the lock. “But you can’t remember a thing about who you were before you came to us?”

Emy ducked her head, hands coming up to fiddle with the necklace she always wore- the only thing she had from before, “I do have a clue to who-“

“Yes, yes, I know,” Granny spat, snatching it out of Emy’s hands, “’Together in Paris’. So you want to go there, to find your family, right?”

Emy nodded apprehensively. “Well you listen to me, little miss Emy,” Granny told her, eyes hardening slightly, “It’s time to take your place in life- and  you’d better be grateful  for what you’ve been given, too.”  

She dropped the necklace, and swung the gate open, practically pushing Emy out, causing her to stumble. Emy huffed as the gate swung shut with a metallic clang, and she trudged away, not looking back.

“Be grateful, Emy,” She mimicked, tightening her scarf around her neck, “I am grateful. Grateful to get away,” She eyed the signs; one would lead her to her new life, her new job. The other would take her to a world of opportunities, maybe even to her family.

“’Go left’ she says.” Emy mumbled, “I know what’s to the left- I’ll be Emy the orphan forever…but if I go right…maybe…Whoever gave me this necklace must have loved me,” He voice had turned hopeful, and she bit her lower lip, shoulders slumping.

She shook her head quickly, banishing those thoughts from her head, “This is crazy. Me…go to Paris?” She wandered from path to path, heart in her throat as she debated her options, “Give me a sign. A hint,” She pleaded, plopping down onto the snow, “ _Anything_.”

She waited, rubbing at her face tiredly, until there was a tug on her scarf, “Hey,” She cried, glancing around as it was swiftly removed from around her neck, eyes landing on a small brown puppy, “Hey- gimmie that back- I don’t have time to play right now. I’m waiting for a sign,”

Her hands flailed out, trying to grab at her scarf as the puppy pounced around with it, tail wagging happily. She caught it, and pulled, “Would you please-” She grunted, “Leave me- come on give me- that…” Her voice rose an octave as she stumbled, face-planting into the snow.

Her hands flailed out, trying to grab at her scarf as the puppy pounced around with it, tail wagging happily. She caught it, and pulled, “Would you please-” She grunted, “Leave me- come on give me- that…” Her voice rose an octave as she stumbled, face-planting into the snow.

She groaned, and pushed herself up, using one hand to wipe the snow from her face, only to find the puppy staring at her expectantly. She sighed, and shifted until she was sitting again, “Great. A dog wants me to go to St. Petersburg,”

Emy stiffened, and her mouth dropped open, “Oh,” She whispered, pushing herself to her feet, a smile blooming across her face, “Okay. I can take a hint,” She approached the puppy cautiously, and knelt down in front of it, and he allowed her to take her scarf back.

She hung the scarf around her neck once more, “Come on you,” She said, beckoning the dog after her. The puppy barked, and trotted after her.

Emy smiled, and headed towards the city, the pup walking beside her, “I need to give you a name…”


	3. Chapter 3

“This is it, Henry,” Emy murmured, picking him up as she weaved through the crowded train station. “You and me- going to Paris,” He yipped happily, and licked her chin, causing her to laugh.

She shuffled to the front of the queue, and smiled at the dark haired man who worked there, “One ticket to Paris, please.”

“Exit visa.” He requested, holding out a hand.

“Exit visa?” She asked, brows furrowing.

“You don’t got an exit visa, kid, you don’t get a ticket,” He said, shooing her away.

She turned on her heel, and walked back towards the exit, Henry cradled to her chest, “What do we do now?” She asked, leaning back against a cold brick wall.

Long, bony fingers wrapped around her wrist, and Emy jumped, “Go and see Graham,” The lady who spoke was hunched over, her eyes glancing about anxiously. “He can help you. He lives at the old palace,”

“Oh, thank you,” Emy whispered.

“You didn’t hear it from me though,” Emy nodded in understanding, “Good luck, dear,” She added, and disappeared back into the crowd.

“Graham…” She murmured, smiling to herself.

~

Graham smiled at the girl on stage, “Yes, thank you- that was lovely,” He called out, voice strained, “Next please,”

“No, but I-“

“Next please,” He said again, a note of impatience in his voice.

She shuffled off the stage dejectedly, and Graham shared a look with Archie, who promptly buried his face in his hands.

“Uh- Dr. Whale?” Graham said, watching as someone bundled up in a giant fur coat walked out in front of them. He’d met a Dr. Whale before, and he was certain that he was, well, a man.

Dr. Whale let the coat fall to the floor, revealing a knee length dress. He struck a pose, cigarette in hand, “Mama, it’s me, Emma,” Dr. Whale gestured along the length of his body, and shot them a grin.

Archie groaned, and banged his head off the table, “Oh, brother…” Graham mumbled. “Next!”

There was no ‘next’, and he crossed his arms on top of the desk, resting his head on top of them. “Three hundred and forty one girls,” He said, despairingly, “And nothing.”

Archie hummed sympathetically, “Well, we’d better pack up for the night. This is it, we have no girl to play the part of Emma,”

Graham stood then, shaking his head, “We’ll find her, Archie,” He said firmly, tugging his coat on. He buttoned it up, and went to switch the lights off. They made their way outside, “She’s here somewhere- just under our noses.”

Archie raised an eyebrow, “And don’t forget, once the Queen sees the jewellery box, she’ll think we’ve brought the real Emma,” Graham added quickly, and Archie relaxed minutely.

~

Emy’s boots crunched through the snow, and she rubbed her hands together. It was getting steadily darker, and the temperature was dropping. She had stopped a few people on her travels, and she’d gotten the same answer from them all- the place had been abandoned years ago, and no one lived there now.

She shook her head, and approached a lone man at a street corner, “Excuse me, sir,” She said, tapping his shoulder, “I’m looking for the old palace-“ Someone bumped into her roughly, knocking her to the side, and she shifted closer to the man she was speaking to, “Could you tell me where that is?”

He waved her off, and walked away swiftly, leaving her shivering in the cold. She huffed, “I guess we’ll just have to get there by ourselves,” She told Henry, who was trembling against her. She ran her fingers through his fur gently, “Come on, we can do this.”

She wandered around until the streetlamps were lit, and the sky overhead was black and starless, “I think this is it,” She whispered through chattering teeth. She pushed the iron gate open enough to slip through unnoticed, and pushed it back into place.

The palace stood, tall and proud, but obviously unattended to. Windows had been broken, and were half-heartedly boarded up, and ivy crawled along the outer walls, unhindered. Something about it was vaguely familiar, even though she was certain she had never been here before.

“Let’s do this,” She said, and Henry wiggled in her grasp, jumping down to walk ahead of her. She followed him, “What is it?” He approached a clumsily boarded up window on the first floor, “Henry! Henry- no!”

He wiggled through the gap in the wooden boards, and yipped. She curled her fingers around on of the boards, and tugged until it came loose, falling to the floor with a too loud clatter.

“Crap,” She mumbled, scrambling inside after Henry, “Henry- where are you?”  She checked under tables and behind tapestries as she made her way from room to room, until he appeared at her side.

Emy gave a relieved sigh, and together they explored the palace.

“Hello? Is anybody here?” She called out, her voice echoing, but she recieved no answer.

She wandered up a set of sweeping stairs, and into a cluttered room, where everything was covered with sheets. She lifted one off, coughing when dust particles flew about.

She let the sheet drop to the floor, and blinked at the ornaments lining the shelf. She picked up a small plate, and rubbed the dust off it with her sleeve, tilting her head to the side as she examined it. She shook her head, and set it to the side, walking along the length of the shelves, peering around curiously.

“This place… It’s like…a memory,” She whispered, “A memory from a dream.”

Henry barked, ramming into her ankles, and she giggled, “That’s silly, right?” She asked, though she was unable to shake the feeling of having been here before.

She ran her fingers over a vase, revealing part of a tiny bear, and she had a brief thought of a kindly, dark haired woman lifting Emy up, and showing her this exact vase for the first time proudly. The woman had crafted it herself.

She moved away from it then, going into the next room, a ball room, with a high ceiling and paintings lining the upper most edges of the it.  Chandeliers hung at regular intervals from the roof, and the weak light from the moon glinted off them, illuminating the two thrones which sat at the far end of the room.

Emy stared around, awed by the magnificence of this place, her mind filling with sounds of loud chatter, and even louder laughter as people danced around the room, gowns swirling about ladies' ankles, music festive and calming. A strange longing filled her as she stepped carefully down the sweeping staircase.

She could imagine people milling about, and she would bow to them as she passed, smiling brightly as they clinked glasses together, sharing smiles and secrets. And a memory stirred-stronger than anything else- a man with a warm smile leaving his postition on his throne, making his way through the crowd, holding out his hand to her. She would take it, she knew, because she trusted this man above all others to keep her safe. He would whirl her around to the sound of violins, welcoming her home.

Emy swallowed thickly, her eyes fluttering shut. He would hold her tightly to his chest for a brief moment, and kiss her forehead-

“Hey!” A voice called, and she snapped out of her daydream quickly, staring around confusedly. It had felt so _real_ , “What are you doing in here? Hey!”

Footsteps thudded heavily, and she ran for it, back up the staircase, heading out the way she had come in, “Stop, stop, hold on a minute- hold on!”

Emy froze, heart thudding in her chest.  She took a deep breath, before turning to face the two men, anxious knots forming in her stomach, the sense of security which had enveloped her just moments ago gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Graham stumbled to a stop at the bottom of the staircase, “Now- now how did you get in h-here…” He blinked up at the girl, noting the soft curl of her blonde hair, and the too familiar curve of her nose. His mouth dropped open, and he reached over to grab a hold of Archie’s arm.

He looked between the girl, and the portrait of the Charming family that hung just behind her, watching as she exhaled dejectedly, and a smiled tugged at his lips.

“Excuse me, miss-” Archie said suddenly, but Graham squeezed his arm tightly, “Archie- do you see what I’m seeing?”

“What, no-” Graham glanced over at him, and plucked his glasses from his pocket, and handed them to Archie, who gasped once he had them on, “Yes, yes. Graham, she-“

“I know,” Graham whispered, feeling something small ram into his legs. He bent down, and picked the dog up gently, scratching behind his ears, “Cute dog,” He murmured.

“Excuse me,” The girl started, “Are you Graham?”

He raised an eyebrow, and handed the dog over to Archie, slowly approaching the girl, “That depends on who’s looking for him,” He smirked at her, and she crossed her arms over her chest, looking less than amused.

“My name is Emy, and I need travel papers,” She stated simply, staring at him expectantly. “They say you’re the man to see, but I can’t tell you who said that.“

As she spoke he walked around her, sizing her up- she was perfect. Exactly what they had been looking for, if only they could convince her to play along.

“What- why are you circling me?” She asked, one hand coming up to fiddle with a necklace that hung from around her neck, “What were you a vulture in another life?” He chuckled, and took a step back.

“I’m sorry Emily,” He said, grinning.

“Emy,” She corrected irritably, “Em-e,”

“Emy,” He repeated, and she poked his chest, repeating her name once again to make sure he wouldn’t forget. “It’s just that you look an awful lot like-” He gestured towards the painting, behind her, but she just stared at him, and eyebrow raised, “Never mind. You said something about travel papers?” He prompted.

“Yes,” She replied warily, “I’d like to go to Paris,”

Graham’s eyes widened, and he beckoned Archie towards them, “You- you’d like to go to _Paris_?”  He asked, stepping closer to her, “Now, let me ask you something, Emy, was it- is there a last name that goes with that?”

She ducked her head, her cheeks pinking, “Well, actually,” She said, rubbing her forehead, “This is going to sound crazy, but I don’t know my last name. I was found wandering around when I was eight years old.”

“And before then- before you were eight?” He pressed quietly.

“Look, I know it’s strange, but I have very few memories of my past,”

Graham hummed, a bubble of hope rising in his chest, “That’s…perfect,” He mumbled to himself.

“I have one clue, and that is Paris,” She added, smiling hopefully at him. “So can you help me or not?”

Graham heaved a sigh, and turned to Archie, “The tickets,” He whispered, plucking them from Archie’s fingers when he had fished them out. “We would love to help, and oddly enough we’re going to Paris ourselves. I’ve got three-” He glanced at the four tickets in his hand, and tossed one to the side, “Yeah, well, uh, three tickets here. Unfortunately the third one is for her- Emma,”

Emy peered up at the picture curiously, “Oh,” She whispered.

Archie rested a hand on Emy’s shoulder, “We’re going to reunite the Queen, Snow White, with her long lost daughter.”

“You do kind of resemble her,” Graham added with a warm smile.

“You have Snow’s eyes,” Archie murmured, “And Charming’s smile,”

“She’s the same age, the same physical type,”

Emy laughed brightly, “Are you two trying to tell me that you think _I_ am Emma?”

“All I’m trying to tell you is I’ve seen thousands of girls all over the country, and not one of them looks as much like her as you do,” Graham explained softly. “Just look at the portrait.”

She backed away from him, “I knew you were mad from the moment I met you,” She said, “But now I think you’re both crazy,”

“Why?” Graham asked, “You don’t remember what happened to you,”

“And no one knows what happened to her,” Archie said.

“You’re looking for family in Paris,” Graham murmured, approaching her again.

“And her only family…is in Paris,”

He could feel the small breath she let out on his neck, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her back over to the portrait, “Did you ever think about the possibility?”

“That I could be royalty?” She whispered, and Graham hummed in agreement, “Well, I don’t know, it’s kind of hard to think of yourself as a princess when you’re sleeping on a damp floor…but sure. I guess every lonely girl would hope she’s a princess.”

“Somewhere, one little girl is,” Archie told her quietly.

Graham moved away from her side, leaving her staring at the portrait, “I really wish we could help, but the third ticket is for Emma, so…good luck,” He tapped Archie’s shoulder, and together they headed back down the stairs.

“Wait- why didn’t you just tell her about our plan?” Archie asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

“All she wants to do is go to Paris,” Graham said, shrugging, “Why give away a third of the reward money?”

“I don’t know- I think we’re walking away too soon,” Archie admitted, looking over his shoulder to where Emy still stood.

“I’ve got this all figured out,” Graham promised, fixing his shirt, “Just wait. Three…two…one-“

“Graham!”

They shared a grin, and turned back around, “Yes?” He asked, biting back a smile.

“If I don’t remember who I am who’s to say I’m not a duchess or a princess or whatever she is right?” She asked, running down the stairs, her dog at her heels.

“Go on…”

“Yeah… and if I’m not Emma, then the Queen will certainly know right away, and it’s all just an honest mistake.”

“Sounds plausible,” Graham agreed thoughtfully, allowing himself a small smile.

“But if you are her,” Archie said smoothly, “Then you’ll finally have your family back,”

“He’s right,” Graham said, “Either way, it gets you to Paris.” He held out a hand, and she took it in her own, her grasp too tight, causing Graham to wince.

He gave her his best showman’s smile, “May I present, her royal highness, Princess Emma,” He declared, bowing to her. She laughed, and curtsied back, her form practically flawless, before kneeling down to pick up her dog.

“You hear that, Henry?” She asked, cuddling him to her chest, “We’re going to Paris!”

“The dog is going?” He asked.

“Of course he’s going, I’m hardly going to leave him behind-“

“It’s probably for the best that you do, really,”

“Henry is coming with us,” She stated firmly, levelling him with a glare, and he relented.

“Alright, then,” He agreed, “Let’s get you both situated for the night, then, and we’ll head out tomorrow.”

She nodded, “Lead the way,” She said, standing upright, Henry cradled in her arms.  


	5. Chapter 5

Emy peered into the dim light of the main sitting room, finding Graham’s face illuminated by the flickering flames of the fire, and she moved into the warmth tentatively, Henry on her heels. Henry bound forward, ramming into the side of Graham’s chair, causing him to look up.

“Emy,” He said, blinking at her, “Is everything alright? Is your room okay-“

“Everything’s fine,” She said quickly- their hospitality had overwhelmed her in its splendour. Her room was everything she ever dreamed of- a beautiful bed with a real mattress and a soft, warm, blanket- and more. She wasn’t entirely certain what to do with herself now that that luxury was right in her grasp. “Do you mind if I join you for a while?”

He shook his head, gesturing for her to sit. She grabbed a cushion from the sofa, and sat down by the fire, relishing the heart it gave off, Henry quickly following her. He curled up at her side, his nose pressing into her thigh. She petted him absently, looking around the room curiously. Portraits lined the far wall, a large sofa pressed up against it. The curtains were pulled against the harsh weather outside, and Emy felt like she could happily live here for the rest of her life.

She yawned, and pulled her legs up to her chest, a content smile on her lips. “Graham?” She said after a moment, and he made a vague humming noise, “Do you really think I can do this?” She looked to him, and he smiled softly at her, the expression calming her automatically.

“Of course you can,” He told her quietly, “You’ll have Archie and me- we’ll be with you the whole time.”

She let out a shaky breath and nodded, “Okay,” She breathed, “Thank you,”

It had been plaguing her since she had agreed to go with them earlier that day, a strange niggling feeling in the back of her head. She had never so much as left her country- now she was going to be travelling to _Paris_ with practical strangers to meet a Queen. Her mother. Possibly.

What if this had been the wrong decision? What if she wasn’t Emma- if she was just another orphan with no parents, and no future? She shook her head- she couldn’t think like that. This had to work out- it simply had to.

She imagined Queen Snow would have a rounded face and a warm smile, with crinkles at the corners of her eyes, from laughter. She imagined that she would meet her mother, and would be welcomed back with a loving embrace, that they would rejoice in being reunited, and that Emy would be allowed to stay with Snow in Paris.

“…Emy, are you even listening?” She glanced up, her fingers curling around her necklace, fingers fiddling with the small circular key at the end of it.

“Sorry,” She mumbled sheepishly. “I was daydreaming.”

Graham sighed, a touch of exasperation in the gesture. “Archie- you talk to her,” He slumped back into his chair, and Archie gave her a tentative smile, taking a seat just across from her.

“We were just discussing tomorrow’s arrangements,” He told her patiently, “We’ll be leaving first thing, If that’s alright with you- our train is at 7.30, you see,” She nodded, her hands dropping to her lap. “We’ll be taking the train all the way to Paris, with one stopover on the way. All in all, we’ll be travelling for maybe a day and a half. Does that sound good to you?”

Her chest constricted, and she nodded. Two days. Roughly two days from now she would be going to meet Snow. It didn’t feel like enough time to get things sorted out in her head. She had thought she was ready for this, but now she was beginning to doubt that.

“That sounds great,” She managed, shooting Archie a smile.

He smiled back at her, pushing himself to his feet, “Rest soon, both of you,” He instructed, “We’ve a long few days ahead of us,”

Graham waved him off, but Emy nodded, “We will,”

“I’m trusting you to get him to stop working so hard,” Archie told her with a friendly wink, and then turned and left.

“No,” Graham said simply.

“Archie’s right- You need to rest,” She implored.

“Fine, fine, I’ll rest soon,” He agreed, but she could tell that he was saying that simply to placate her.

“Fine,” She said, curling her arms around the cushion, hugging it tightly to her chest. She was cosy where she was and didn’t plan to move just yet herself.

“You- you should sleep now, though,” She shook her head, but said nothing further. Graham shrugged, and turned back to his work.

They settled into an easy silence, and Emy’s eyes slowly drifted shut, her breathing evening out, and the next time Graham looked, a good hour later, up she was curled into a tight ball in front of the fireplace, her arm pillowing her head.

He stood, setting his books to the side for now, and knelt beside her, shaking her shoulder gently, “Emy?” He said, “C’mon, let’s get you to bed,” She blinked owlishly at him, and he held out a hand to her, hefting her to her feet.

She swayed, but quickly steadied herself, “Bed?” She rasped, voice laced with sleep, and Graham nodded, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her back to her room in silence.

She pushed the door to her room open, and then frowned, “Henry,” She said, turning quickly on her heel, “He-“

“I’ll bring him here before I go to bed myself,” Graham reassured her, “Go on- sleep. I won’t let him disappear.” She knew he begrudged having to take Henry with them,

 Emy nodded, “Okay. Goodnight, Graham,”

“Goodnight, Princess,” He replied, a small smile on his lips, before he turned and left.

She left her room door slightly ajar in case Henry found his way to her himself, and swiftly curled up on her bed, and easily fell back asleep, dreams of the next few days playing on her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

"In here's e mpty,” Graham said, pulling the door open, gesturing into the carriage, stepping to the side to let Emy and Archie stash their limited luggage and take their seats first. “I’ll be right back,” He said, and Emy simply turned her head to look out the window as the train pulled out of the station.

She caught sight of Henry as he jumped up onto the seat opposite Emy, padding around in a circle before settling down with his head on his front paws. Archie took a moment to scratch behind Henry’s ears, and opened his briefcase.

Emy let out a quiet sigh, and tucked her feet up onto the seat, her eyes watching as the trees blurred together outside, the sound of the train’s engine ringing in her ears.

Emy had turned to fiddling with her necklace by the time Graham returned, quickly stashing his own suitcase, before attempting to take the seat Henry was occupying. He huffed slightly, making Emy smirk to herself, and he patted Henry’s head, “Can’t believe the dog gets the window seat,” He said, taking the seat next to Emy instead.

He frowned at her, “Stop fiddling with that would you?” He said, “Come on, sit up straight, remember you’re a princess.”

She slumped back into her seat, folding her arms over her chest. “How is it you know what princesses do and don’t do?” She asked, eyes narrowing.

“I make it my business to know,”

“Oh,” She said, hands going back to her necklace.

“Look, I’m just trying to help you, Emy,” He said, grinning easily at her. She bristled internally at that, and sat up straight.

“Graham?” She asked, voice sickly sweet, “Do you really think I’m royalty?”

“You know I do,” He told her.

“Then stop bossing me around,” His eyes widened, and his mouth snapped shut, and for a moment Emy revelled in his reaction.

“She has a mind of her own, that one,” Archie said, and Emy could see him smiling behind his papers.

“Yeah, I hate that in a woman,” Graham mumbled, shifting away from Emy. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“That’s really mature,” He said, and she shrugged, deciding to ignore him.

~

A few hours later Emy found herself alone in the carriage, and she kicked her feet up, relaxing with a book Archie had loaned her. There was a quiet knock on the door of the carriage  before Graham slipped in quietly, sitting across from her.

“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot,” He told her, and she lowered her book slightly.

“Well, I think we did too,” She agreed, “But I appreciate your apology,”

“A-apology? Who said anything about an apology, I was just-“

“Please, just don’t talk, okay, it’s only going to upset me,” She cut him off, truly milking the princess thing now, finding that she enjoyed seeing him react.

“Fine, I’ll be quiet. I’ll be quiet if you will,”

“Alright, I’ll be quiet,”

“Fine,”

“Fine,”

“Fine,”

He let out a quiet huff,  turning his gaze towards the carriage door, and Emy bit her lip, “Do you think you’re going to miss it?”

“What? Your talking?” He snapped.

“No.” She said, “St. Petersburg. It was your home,”

“It was a place I once lived,” He corrected, too casually.

“Well then you must plan on making Paris your true home,” She pressed, leaning across the space between them, honestly curious.

“What is it with you and homes?” He asked.

Emy stood, aiming to leave the carriage, but he lifted his feet, resting them on the chair opposite himself. “Well for one thing,” She said, nudging his legs, “It’s something that every normal person wants, and for another thing-“

“Hmm?” He implored, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“It’s a- well it…it’s a-” She climbed over the seat, yanking the door open, “You know what, just forget it!”

Archie appeared in the doorway, “Archie,” She said, breathing a sigh of relief, “Just- can you get me away from him, please?”

“What have you done, Graham?”

“Me!” He protested, standing now too, “It’s not me, it’s her!”

Emy threw her hands up in exasperation, and exited the carriage, shoving her hands into her pockets, vaguely hearing Archie tease Graham about an ‘unspoken attraction’ as she stormed down the corridor.

 _Attraction_ , she thought disdainfully, _as if I would ever be attracted to anyone so horrible and callous and…attraction. Hah!_

She wandered until the skies darkened, stopping briefly in the dining cart to grab a small sandwich, not even sure if she was permitted to take anything without paying, but she hadn’t eaten since she’d left the orphanage, and she had no money of her own, before making her way back to Graham and Archie.

She curled up on one of the seats, and soon found herself dozing off.

~

When she woke it was to Graham hovering over her, his face too close to her own. She flailed, accidentally smacking him in the face. “Oh, sorry-“

“C’mon, we have to go,” He said quickly. He took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. She stumbled, disorientated, and still half asleep.

“Wait, where are we going?” She asked.

He didn’t answer, but instead led her down the corridor, prodding his nose gently, “I think it’s broken,” He said, and she rolled her eyes.

“Men are such babies,” She mumbled, shrugging her coat on. She followed him, the temperature dropping as they continued along the length of the train.

They came to a stop, and she frowned, her eyebrows raising into her hairline as they smiled sheepishly at her,“The baggage car?” She asked suspiciously. “There wouldn’t happen to be anything wrong with our papers, now would there maestro.

“Of course not, princess,” Graham reassured her, taking her bags from her. He set them to the side, and continued, “It’s just that I hate to see you forced to mingle with all those…those commoners,”

There was a sudden jerk, and she fell into a pile of suitcases. “What was that?” Graham asked, eyes wide as he straightened himself up.

“I don’t know, but there goes the dining car,” Archie lamented, his shoulders dropping.

Henry barked madly at the door, his tail wagging aggressively. Emy pulled herself upright, and went to him as Archie called for Graham.

“What?” Graham asked, going to his side.

Emy picked Henry up, clutching him to her chest, trying to calm him down, noting that he was shivering in her arms. She carried him over to Archie, watching as Graham began climbing the fuel car in front of them.

She frowned, leaning out the door carefully, “We’re going way too fast,” She yelled, trying to be heard over the squeal of the engines, and Archie nodded his agreement.

Graham reappeared after a few minutes, “There’s no one driving this train,” He told them, face carefully masked, as he entered the baggage car once more, “We’re going to have to jump,” He ran to the side door, grunting as he yanked it open.

The world sped past them, green and white and black all swirling together in a dizzying mix. “After you,” Emy said, pulling away from the edge, feeling slightly queasy.

“Fine,” He said, “Then we’ll disconnect this car,”

Emy watched as both Graham and Archie scrambled about trying to find a way to remove their car from the rest of the train. Emy watched as Henry bound around the car anxiously, bumping into boxes as he went.

Her eyes widened, and she wrenched the lid off one of the boxes marked ‘explosives’,  lighting one of them with the match that has been nestled next to them in a smaller box.

“Come on- there’s got to be something in their better than this!” Graham shouted, sounding almost panicky now. Emy went to his side, kneeling by the door and handed him the explosive. She watched as his eyes widened.

“That’ll work,” He murmured, shooting her an appreciative smile as he lodged the explosive between the hooks holding the cars together.

Together they retreated into the car, huddling down together, Henry wiggling his way in between them. “What do they teach you in those orphanages?” He asked, and she grinned at him, huddling closer as the explosive went off with a loud bang, and a shower of bright sparks.

They got up, Archie heading for the breaks, which he quickly informed them were broken. “It’s okay- we’ll just…coast to a stop,” He said, nodding to himself.

Emy stared past him at the bridge up ahead, which was quick obviously broken. He followed her gaze. “You were saying?”

He cursed under his breath, staring around the car for anything that could help. “I’ve got an idea,” He said, heading for the opposite end of the car, “Archie, give me a hand!”

Emy followed him, watching as Archie tumbled into a pile of luggage, “He’s busy at the moment,” She told Graham, and he nodded reluctantly, gesturing for her to follow him.

“Right,” He said, hanging out the back end of the car, “Hand me the chain,” He took one end from her and hooked it underneath the car, nearly slipping from where he was situated.

Emy grabbed his hand, her fingers curling tightly around his, pulling him up, watching as rail broke away, snapping easily, “And to think that could have been you,” She said with a teasing smile.

“If we live through this,” He murmured, brushing his shirt down, “Remind me to thank you,”

They grabbed the rest of the chair together, and hauled it out the doorway. “Let’s hope it catches,” He murmured, and Emy nodded, her heart in her throat as it continued trailing further away from them, without slowing the car at all.

Suddenly it caught hold of the track, and the car jerked violently, swivelling on the track, causing those on board to go flying across the car, limbs flailing. There was a loud shriek as the car turned on its side, slowing down enough for them to scramble to their feet. Emy grabbed Henry, and the boys grabbed their luggage.

“Well,” She said, taking a deep breath as she contemplated the snow, “This is our stop,” They stepped up to the edge of the car together, and jumped.

Emy was suddenly hit with cold, shivering as the snow seeped through her clothes.  She shook it off, and rubbed down Henry’s coat.

“I hate trains,” Graham muttered, dusting himself off. “We are never taking a train again.” Emy silently agreed with him, not understand how something could go so badly wrong like that.

Little did she know that much worse things were being planned for her at that very moment.


End file.
